Frequently Asked Questions
How are your blades constructed?
Each blade blank is individually constructed from hand-selected materials. The blade plies are assembled, glued using a waterproof adhesive, placed between two perfectly flat granite slabs, fitted into a vacuum press, and clamped with 1000 lbs. of pressure until the adhesive has cured. The resulting blade "blank" is highly stable, uniformly flat, and because of the type of adhesive, is resistant to warping due to changes in temperature and humidity.
The blade shape is cut from the blank by fastening the blank to the desired template shape and then cut with a pattern-following router bit. This ensures that each blade has the exact same size and shape as the template, and that the blade edge is perfectly square to the face of the blade. If requested, the protective wood edge banding is applied next.
The handle can be fashioned from any type of wood, but I most often use a decorative hardwood that accents the color of the blade. The hardwood handles are very durable, but they can also be heavy. To reduce the weight, I normally hollow the underside of each handle half before attaching them to the blade. This has the positive side-effect of reducing the amount of vibration that is transmitted to your hand through the handle.
After all components are sanded and glued together, unless otherwise requested, I seal the blade with two coats of a satin polyurethane to protect it from moisture and to dramatically improve its resistance to the often damaging effects of repeated rubber removals. The handle is sealed with the same polyurethane, but receives a couple additional coats to protect the wood.
The blade shape is cut from the blank by fastening the blank to the desired template shape and then cut with a pattern-following router bit. This ensures that each blade has the exact same size and shape as the template, and that the blade edge is perfectly square to the face of the blade. If requested, the protective wood edge banding is applied next.
The handle can be fashioned from any type of wood, but I most often use a decorative hardwood that accents the color of the blade. The hardwood handles are very durable, but they can also be heavy. To reduce the weight, I normally hollow the underside of each handle half before attaching them to the blade. This has the positive side-effect of reducing the amount of vibration that is transmitted to your hand through the handle.
After all components are sanded and glued together, unless otherwise requested, I seal the blade with two coats of a satin polyurethane to protect it from moisture and to dramatically improve its resistance to the often damaging effects of repeated rubber removals. The handle is sealed with the same polyurethane, but receives a couple additional coats to protect the wood.
What options are available for the blade core?
Any wood that is relatively lightweight that I can source in thicknesses of 1.5mm or greater is potentially useful as a core wood. I make use of the following:
Kiri is by far my favorite core material. It is strong and lightweight, and provides a nice, soft core on which to build a blade. For more information on the wood that's available for blade plies, please refer to the Core page.
- Kiri
- Balsa
- Ayous/Obeche
- Douglas Fir
- Anigre
- Basswood
Kiri is by far my favorite core material. It is strong and lightweight, and provides a nice, soft core on which to build a blade. For more information on the wood that's available for blade plies, please refer to the Core page.
I'm interested in buying a blade - how do I proceed?
Semi-Custom
Select one of my blade compositions, a blade shape, and a handle shape. Contact me to provide some additional details about the blade. We'll trade a number of emails so that I can get all of the construction details defined, and once I have all of the specifications, I'll send you a PayPal invoice for the work.Full-Custom
For fully custom blades, you specify your own composition based on my available materials. Please start with a visit to the Materials page to browse my inventory of veneer and core wood. Contact me to start the discussion of your blade requirements, and over a series of emails, we'll define a custom blade composition to suit your playing style. Once the composition is defined, select the blade shape and handle shape for the blade, and I'll send you a PayPal invoice for the work. The base price for full-custom blades is $140 US for a 5 or 7 ply blade.Options
These options allow an even greater level of customization of your blade.- Custom-designed blade or handle shape
- Custom handle inlays/stripes
- Special exotic wood plies
- Additional plies
- Matched weight pairs
Prices based on specific requirements and are quoted on request.
How long does it take to have a blade built?
It depends on my current backlog of orders and on the complexity of the blade (number of plies, edge banding, handle design, etc.). I generally quote 10 days to complete and ship the blade, although specialty handles and custom shapes can introduce more time to the process. I send a PayPal invoice when I'm ready to get started on your blade. The building starts when payment is received.
During construction, I will email you progress photos of your blade at different stages of the process so that you can track how things are going. When the blade is complete, I'll send a few final finished blade photos before packaging it up for shipment.
During construction, I will email you progress photos of your blade at different stages of the process so that you can track how things are going. When the blade is complete, I'll send a few final finished blade photos before packaging it up for shipment.
Do you sell pre-built or demo blades?
I now have a for sale page that lists blades that I have on-hand for immediate sale.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes, I ship all over the world - anywhere covered by USPS.
The most cost-effective method to ship is via USPS First Class, but it does not provide tracking. USPS Priority Mail is more expensive, but provides tracking and normally arrives quicker than First Class mail. For international shipping, I recommend Priority Mail service.
I charge the rate quoted by USPS for an estimated package weight of 1lb. 2oz. to your shipping address.
The most cost-effective method to ship is via USPS First Class, but it does not provide tracking. USPS Priority Mail is more expensive, but provides tracking and normally arrives quicker than First Class mail. For international shipping, I recommend Priority Mail service.
I charge the rate quoted by USPS for an estimated package weight of 1lb. 2oz. to your shipping address.
